The petty officer stepped forward and received some brief instructions from his superior, which were given in Jack"s hearing.
"These are Union boys, and one of them has come out here to ship," said the officer. "I want you to pilot him to the _Harriet Lane_. You are not to interfere with the management of the schooner in any way, for she is not a prize. She sails under our flag. Tell the captain the same story you have told me," he added, turning to Jack, "and I think it will be all right. Good-bye."
With these parting words the officer and his boarding party clambered down into the launch, which put off to resume her useless vigil at the mouth of the Inlet; the boatswain"s mate, at Jack"s request, took his place at the wheel, and the _Fairy Belle_ filled away on her course.
"All right so far," said Marcy, who breathed a great deal easier now than he did when the launch first hove in sight. "If the captain of the _Harriet Lane_ treats us as well as that ensign did, I shall be glad I came out here."
"He will, sir," said the boatswain"s mate, letting go of the wheel with one hand long enough to raise his forefinger to his cap. "He always does. We have often had sh.o.r.e boats, come off to us since we have been on the blockade."
"You have!" exclaimed Marcy, who was very much surprised. "And do you let them go ash.o.r.e again when they get ready?"
"Cert"ny, sir. They come and go betwixt two days--not because they are afraid of us, but because they must look out that the rebels ash.o.r.e don"t hear of it. Some of the boats get news from Newbern every day or so."
"We know that," answered Jack. "And we heard a rebel say, not long ago, that if the Newbern people could find out who it is that sends off the papers so regularly they would make short work of him. How much farther have we to go?"
"Not more than ten miles, sir. We"ll see our lights directly."
"Do you know anything about this little blockade-runner that your launch is watching for?" inquired Marcy. "Who is she? What"s her name and where does she hail from?"
"We know all about her, sir, for we chased her once when she was the privateer _Osprey_. She belongs up Roanoke River, but she runs the blockade out of Newbern. Her captain--what"s this his name is again?--Beardsley, used to be a smuggler; and if we get our hands on him we"ll be likely to remember him for that. Our Uncle Sam ain"t so broke up yet but what he can deal with men who have violated his laws."
"I hope to goodness you may get your hands upon him," thought Marcy, who was surprised at the extent and accuracy of the blue-jacket"s information. It proved beyond a doubt that there were Union men ash.o.r.e who kept the Yankee commanders posted, and Marcy wished he knew who they were. He might find it convenient to appeal to them if he and his mother got into trouble with Captain Beardsley.
The strong breeze being in her favor, the _Fairy Belle_ made good speed along the coast, and in due time the warning lights of the Union war vessel showed themselves through the darkness. It was not customary for the Union cruisers to show lights and thus point out their position to vessels that might approach the coast with the intention of running the blockade, but being anch.o.r.ed off an inlet that was known to be in full possession of our forces, the captain of the _Harriet Lane_ knew that no such vessels would come near him. While the blue-jacket was explaining this to the boys, a hoa.r.s.e voice came from the gunboat"s deck.
"Schooner ahoy!" it roared.
"No, no!" replied the man at the _Fairy Belle"s_ wheel.
"That"s a little the queerest answer to a hail _I_ ever heard," was Jack"s comment.
"Be ready to stand by the sheets fore and aft, for we must round to under her stern and come up on her port side," said the boatswain"s mate. "The answer was all right, sir, and in strict accordance with naval rules. Had I been a captain, I should have given the name of my ship. Had I been a wardroom officer, I should have answered, "Ay, ay!"
But being neither one nor the other, I gave the same reply that the steerage officers have to give."
"And what answer would you have given if the admiral was aboard of us?"
inquired Jack.
"I should have said "Flag," sir. You give different replies for different ranks so that the officer of the deck may know how to receive the people that are coming aboard. It would make him awful mad if you gave such an answer that he would extend wardroom honors to a steerage officer. Now, stand by to slack away and haul in."
Five minutes" skilful manoeuvring sufficed to bring the schooner around the stern of the gunboat and up to an open gangway, in which stood the officer of the deck and one of the ship"s boys, who held a lighted lantern in his hand. To the former the boatswain"s mate reported:
"A sh.o.r.e boat, sir, with a couple of Union boys aboard. Mr. Colson sent me down here with her. One of "em wants to ship, sir. He"s got papers."
"Let them come aboard," said the officer.
"It was easy enough for Jack to obey the order, for the gangway was low; but Marcy, having but one hand to work with, required a good deal of a.s.sistance. As there was considerable swell on, Julius and the boatswain"s mate remained on board the schooner to fend her off with the aid of boat-hooks.
"I have come off to ship under the old flag, sir," was the way in which Jack introduced himself and his business.
"Are you an able seaman?" inquired the officer.
"I am, sir, and there is the proof."
Jack produced his papers, and the officer of the deck read them by the light of the lantern, Marcy improving the opportunity to make a hasty inspection of his surroundings. He didn"t see much except the big guns which had aided in the reduction of the forts along the coast, the quartermaster on the bridge, and a few men lying on deck, apparently fast asleep, but he took note of the fact that everything was as neat as his mother"s kitchen. By the time he had made these observations the officer had finished reading Jack"s letters of recommendation. When he handed them back, all he had to say was:
"So you have had some experience with that pirate, Semmes, have you? I wish we had been around there about the time he captured your vessel. We will attend to your case in the morning. The doctor and paymaster are asleep, and it isn"t worth while to rout them out just to ship one man."
"It will not be necessary for my brother to lie alongside all night, will it, sir?"
"Oh, no. Boatswain"s mate, you go back and report to Mr. Colson."
"Very good, sir," replied the petty officer, with his linger to his cap.
"May I make bold to inquire if you have any papers aboard that you can spare?" continued Jack, who would not have thought of asking such a question if he had had a blue shirt on and been sworn into the service.
"We"d like some Northern papers, if you have them, for as we are situated we get the news from only one side."
In response to this request the messenger boy was commanded to run down to the wardroom and bring up any papers he might find on the table there, and while awaiting his return Jack turned to say a parting word to his brother.
"Now Marcy," said he, "you"ve got to look out for yourself--and for mother. Not knowing what dangers you are likely to meet, I can"t give you a word of advice; you will have to be on the alert and act according to circ.u.mstances. See Aleck Webster at the post-office, and tell him to put a stopper on those secret enemies of ours the first thing he does.
You have seen me talking with him, and will know him the minute you see him. I shall trust you to communicate with me as often as you can, though I can"t ask you to write to me. Tell mother you left me well and in good spirits. Good-bye."
"Why, my lad, things must be in a bad way in your part of the country,"
said the officer of the deck, who had heard all Jack had to say to his brother.
"They are indeed, sir," answered the sailor. "It is easy enough for you Northern folks to be loyal to the old flag, but it is as much as one"s life is worth down here."
The messenger boy having returned by this time, Marcy took the papers he handed him, gave Jack"s hand a parting shake, and was a.s.sisted over the side.
"Shove her bow off, s...o...b..ll," commanded the boatswain"s mate, as he moved aft to take his place at the wheel, and let her drift astern.
"Come back here, sir, and sit down," he added, in a vain effort to cheer Marcy up a little. "He"s a fine lad. I"ll warrant, that brother of yours."
"He is, indeed," replied Marcy proudly. "And a sailor man, too, I think you will find."
He had never before felt so gloomy and downhearted as he did at that moment, and he didn"t care to talk. Calling Julius aft to strike a light for him, he went into the cabin and tried to read, leaving the man-of-war"s man to sail the schooner, which he was able to do without help from anybody. In the bundle of papers that the messenger boy gave him, Marcy was glad to find three that were published in Newbern. These he kept out to be read at once, intending when he pa.s.sed Plymouth to throw them ash.o.r.e for the soldiers; but the Northern papers he stowed away in one of the lockers beside the flags. He wanted time to read them carefully, for he believed they would tell him the truth; and that was something he had not heard for many a day. It seemed to him that he had not been below more than half an hour when he heard a hail, to which the hoa.r.s.e voice of the man at the wheel responded. A moment later it added:
"On deck, if you please, sir. I"ve got to leave you now. My launch is close aboard."
She was almost alongside by the time Marcy reached the deck, and five minutes later the officer in command of her again came over the rail; but this time he came alone. There were no blue-jackets with drawn cutla.s.ses at his heels.
"I guess you"ve had luck," were the first words he said. "I don"t see the other fellow anywhere."
"No, sir. We left him aboard your vessel," replied Marcy. "He will be examined and sworn in in the morning. By the way, what did the officer of the deck mean when he said that the paymaster was asleep as well as the doctor? What has the paymaster to do with swearing him in?"
"He or his clerk has to take the descriptive lists, you know, sir,"
replied the sailor. "Then he gets an order from the captain to give the men their clothes and small stores--tobacco, soap, sewing silk, and the like, you know, sir. I was told to come back and report to you, Mr.
Colson."
"Very good. Get aboard the launch. Can you and the moke get along by yourselves?" he continued, turning to Marcy. "I see you have but one hand."